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When will the AU take its destiny into its own hands?

When Africa is mentioned, things that readily come to mind are poverty, conflict, famine etc.  The narrative on Africa has been nothing to write home about.  From West Africa to North Africa to the Central part of the continent, to the East and the Southern part, there is evidence of an unrest, a conflict or some other strife.  

Currently, there is a serious conflict raging in Libya despite the COVID-19 which is ramping through nations and destroying economies. The other unenviable tag is a continent with a lot of epidemics like Ebola, which has been a thorn in the flesh. A deliberate effort at rebranding must be embarked upon to change the African story and this endeavour is non-negotiable. 

The baffling question is why the African Union (AU) is in this situation when the continent is the richest in terms of resources, in the whole world?  Respect is earned and not granted on a silver platter, and for as long as African countries and the AU as a collective, begs for assistance from donor countries, the requisite recognition as a partner of equal status to other trade blocs and continents would continue to be a mirage.

When other countries are adding value to their raw materials and exporting them to other places to generate enough foreign resources to increase their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to promote the necessary growth and living standards of their populace, most African countries are still exporting raw materials.

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According to the insider.com, the Chocolate industry is about $103 Billion Dollars.  President Akufo-Addo in one of his numerous addresses, stated that Ghana and Ivory Coast together produces about 65 per cent of the total world cocoa production, yet can account of just about $6 Billion Dollars. 

This is clearly the predicament of the African countries and, therefore, the predicament of the AU. Until there is a deliberate policy to focus on value addition and hence an industrialisation, the revenue inflows would continue to be forever inadequate and Africa would not become the economic power that it should be in order to generate the required respect from the international community.  

The COVID-19 disease exposed the continent’s lack of preparedness to deal with epidemics or pandemics and the urgent need for the AU to speed up the industrialisation of the continent as part of the integration process among nations of the continent.  It is not as if we need to reinvent the wheel to be able to implement policies that would speed up the integration process.

There is the European Union (EU) which has been in existence for quite some time that the AU members can study and adopt or modify where necessary to give the AU project the momentum needed, to become really established to help the people of Africa and Africa descent both on the continent and in the diaspora.

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A picture sent to me via WhatsApp showed a map of Africa with the natural resources available in each country clearly displayed. A glance at the picture removes any doubt about the fact that Africa is the richest continent in terms of natural resources.  In the near future, petroleum will lose its importance due to the use of electric vehicles and the clamour for reduction in CO2 emissions. 

The countries or continent with other natural resources will become the most sought after trading partners and it is for that reason that the Chinese have embarked on a serious project of establishing relationships with African countries and the AU as an organisation.

According to Wikipedia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has the potential to provide a third of the energy requirement for Africa. The right leadership that can implement policies that fit into the overall agenda of AU in the individual countries is what is required to transform the AU into a global player. 

This was the vision of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and is still relevant today as it was many years ago, and, I dare say, much more relevant now when countries are establishing alliances.  There is no lack of personnel with the requisite skill in any field of endeavour to bring transformation on the continent.  What is required is the need to eschew selfish agenda of the various leaders of the individual countries and Africa will become a very powerful force to reckon with.

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The need to address the crossing of the Mediterranean Sea by illegal migrants from Africa through Libya is an issue that must engage the attention of the AU.  The conflict in Libya is what has enabled this issue to fester. The AU must take charge by sending in an AU force fashioned after the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) model.  Africa cannot always rely on foreigners to resolve its problems totally.  When it initiates an action to resolve its problems, that would mark the beginning of the process of gaining recognition and respect at the world stage. 

The illegal migration from Libya can easily be resolved if there is a stable legitimate government in place in that country which the AU is obliged to help establish.  The creation of an AU force must be given priority attention, so that the Libya conflict can be dealt with as soon as possible. 

When the desperate attempt to embark on illegal migration to Europe across the Mediterranean Sea stops, then the international community will begin to see Africans in a different light.  At the moment, in the eyes of the world, Africans are a bunch of desperate and dangerous people who do not care about their lives. The AU would have to create the necessary environment for member countries to generate employment avenues for their populations, especially the youth to enable them shun the idea of illegal migration. 

A deliberate policy must be adopted to instill in the African youth, a sense of self-worth and self confidence, that he or she is equal to any other person in the whole world no matter the colour of their skin. The sense of inferiority complex established by the colonial masters should be thrown away mentally, so that the African can be mentally liberated to pursue higher dreams. 

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The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement signed by 54 of the 55 countries of the continent, is one of the best things to happen in the life of the AU.  It provides a wonderful opportunity for trading among countries on the continent.  It is a vehicle with the requisite potential to quickly facilitate the transformation required to elevate the status of the AU to that of a respected player in the geopolitical arena. 

The good book even says that “money answereth all things” according to Ecclesiastes Chapter 10, verse 19.  Economic power is what gives nations and trade blocs the power to influence decisions on the international stage and, therefore, it is imperative for Africa and for that matter the AU, to become an economic power house to influence international issues. It is high time the AU was given a permanent seat at the UN Security Council, given our contribution to world economy in terms of natural resources. Resources alone is not going to give us the right unless we translate the resources into huge GDP and that is what would command the respect of the world.

Writer: Laud Kissi-Mensah, a social commentator

by GhanaianTimes

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Features

 The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah

• In modern-day Sodom, both the good and the bad co-exist
• In modern-day Sodom, both the good and the bad co-exist

The biblical Sodom and Gomorrah typified sin in its raw, carnal and abominable form.

Sin was widespread and so deep-rooted that the Lord could not find even 10 righteous men in the twin city.

If He found at least 10, Sodom and Gomorrah would have been saved from the blazing fire that turned the entire city into ashes; courtesy of God’s anger and fury.

Sodom and Gomorrah was quite forgotten since the days of Noah until a slum developed in the Odododiodio constituency of the Greater Accra Re­gion of the Republic of Ghana. It was not named Sodom and Gomorrah out of whim. Some say it is the cradle of sin, another birthplace of the seeds of transgression.

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Others beg to differ

Whatever it is, in modern-day Sodom, both the good and the bad co-exist. There are good, righteous, hardworking fellows earning a decent living but have to pass each night in Sodom because foxes have holes and birds have nests but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head.

In Sodom and Gomorrah today, you’d find civil servants, reverend ministers, businessmen, aspiring politicians, technocrats, polytechnic students and managing directors. You’ll also find robbers, prostitutes, graded pimps, sodomists, small-time pickpockets, magicians, boxers and kpalogo dancers. So you’ll find both good and bad people.

History has always repeated itself. The current Sodom and Gomorrah was burnt down recently but not completely. Certainly, more than 10 righteous folks were found there. So some areas were spared.

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The problem now is that, there are plans to resettle residents of the infamous twin city, and one of the reasons is that, the place is so filthy and disease-ridden so much that the continued human existence is deemed not in the interest of any­body.

A new settlement is what the gov­ernment sees as ideal for these peo­ple, more so when the name Sodom and Gomorrah is nothing complimen­tary as a name.

The residents, however, say that they love the place. Their hearts and souls are enshrined in Sodom and Gomorrah, so they won’t move, bull­dozer or not.

The situation recalls the one similar to the people of Tema Mahean who lived at the site where Meridian Hotel is located. To get the site for the hotel, the Nkrumah government had to resettle the indigenes who were rather unwilling.

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A bulldozer was brought in to do the job, and the people still feel bitter about it. Their collective soul was uprooted and of course, they left a curse, as some people say. The Meridian Hotel and its present state, similar to a bomb-ridden edifice, may be a living testimony of the bitter­ness of the people.

But the difference between the Tema and Sodom variants – the Tema case was that of an ancestral home with its shrine and roots. Sodom and Gomorrah is a slum that has devel­oped over the years, and you’d find people of various nationalities there. They include Burkinabes, Nigeriens, Ivorians. Some are perchers; others appear and disappear as and when they deem fit.

“It would be a mistake for this government to send us away after we’ve voted for Kufuor for positive change”, one resident has said. “We cannot be sent away like animals.

They must give us time to decide. We support the government, so the government must not go against our wishes and make us miserable”.

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Another resident I had a chat with said the government should think about places like Ashaiman (pronounced by many ‘Ashiaman’), because the sins of Sodom and Go­morrah are nothing to be compared to the abominations of Ashaiman.

“I’ve stayed at Ashaiman before and I know the difference. In Ashi­aman you can find every type of criminal. Sodom and Gomorrah is not a crime haven, as others think. It is a residential area for the poor. And if poverty can be said to be a crime, then we are criminals. Otherwise, we are like anybody else,” he said.

The mention of Ashaiman was in­triguing. Ashaiman, also called Hanoi, may be one of the infamous crime cities in West Africa, sharing the infa­my with places like Brooklyn, Harlem and Manhattan in the United States.

But those who live in Ashaiman have very favourable comments about the place. They admit that criminals live there. But the good thing about it is that they don’t commit their crimes in Ashaiman. They go out to sin and come back to roost quietly. After all the township is full of poor people you cannot steal from, they contend.

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Yeah, Sodom and Gomorrah is once again about to be obliterated from the surface of the earth. Personally, I do not like the name, and it both­ers me. At any rate, I believe that if the people are going to be resettled, it should be done benevolently and what should precede it is education.

They must be told why it is neces­sary to resettle them. And in reset­tling them, they should be comfort­able – electricity, water, playground for the kids and recreational centres, etc. They must leave smiling, not grumbling and leaving curses behind.

This article was first published on Saturday May5, 2001

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A focus on Asanteman Finland

Today, I continue my narration of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland with a focus on the Asanteman Finland association.

The Asanteman association in Finland has chalked significant accomplishments and successes which must be made known to the public. 

Formation

Before the current Asanteman Finland association was formed a few years ago, there existed the Asanteman Kuo Finland, which was established in early 2004 and registered at the Patent Registry in Helsinki in 2006.

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The idea to form such an association came about following the desire of some Ghanaians from the Asante ethnic group to come together with the aim of supporting each other, and to ensure unity among its members and with others in the Finnish society.

Their first meeting was in the home of Mr Kwabena Nyamaa (nicknamed Blower), who later was appointed as the Abusuapanin (head of family) of the group. Unfortunately, this first group collapsed, but a new association was formed.

Structure and hierarchy

The Asanteman Finland has a unique structure of organisation. It operates the usual structure for organisations but also adopts the traditional Asante/Akan style of hierarchical structure in the same ways as how an Asante/Akan community or society is usually organised in Ghana.

Thus, the Asanteman Finland has a president, secretary, organising secretary, etc., who are each elected and run the day to day affairs of the association as the executive group.

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This runs alongside the traditional leadership structure of the Chief, Queen-mother, Kurontihene, Abusuapanin, etc., details of which I will focus in my subsequent descriptions of the leadership structure of the Asanteman association (in terms of both the traditional hierarchy and the more formal, executive body style).

Projects and achievements

The Asanteman association has a number of projects they have engaged in to support people and other groups or institutions. In 2007, the old association donated digital blood pressure monitors to some hospitals in Ghana.

In 2011, the group supported the Akomadan Hospital by renovating part of the hospital’s building with roofing sheets. Also, in 2014 the association supported the Jachie Training Center for physically-challenged people, renovating their facilities. Members also donated hospital equipment to Assin Fosu, Mampongten, Agona Asamang, etc., as well as financial support to a hole-in-heart patient.

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The new Asanteman association has also made considerable contributions. In 2021/2022, during the COVID-19 period, the group sent support to Ghana. Again, the association is cooperating with the larger group, Asanteman Europe, and the members are in the process of contributing towards the rehabilitation of the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana.

Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland

The Asanteman plays a prominent role in the Ghanaian community in Finland. The association was the first to be formed after the Ghana Union Finland. It is thus a pioneer in that sense of an association representing a Ghanaian ethnic group.

The association helps or gives support to its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them and to help them organise the funeral. They arrange counselling and educative sessions to the youth such as to teach them the adowa dance and other traditional values.

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It also engages in conflict resolution in other to maintain unity and peace in the group. The group also mobilises their members for various activities that help in integration efforts. For example, the leaders mobilise the other members, including the women in activities such as cooking together, sharing information and learning things from each other.

The Asanteman also collaborates with the Ghana Union Finland, an association for Ghanaian migrants in Finland whose aims include bringing together all Ghanaian migrants resident in Finland and promoting cultural activities in Finland for better intercultural and multicultural understanding.

Displaying a rich culture

When it comes to displaying part of a Ghanaian culture, the Asanteman is unmatchable, so to speak. Other groups representing the Brong Ahafo, Gadangbe, Mfantseman, Eastern Region, and Nzema all endeavour to portray the culture and values of their ethnic origins, but it can be said that the Asanteman remain the pioneer and tops in showcasing their rich culture of the Asante heritage.

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They take a prominent position in enacting a “royal entry” at events organised by the Ghana Union Finland and other groups, where they display colourful kente attire adorned with ornaments, amidst traditional drumming and adowa dance.

Collaborations with other African groups in Finland, alliances abroad

The Asanteman collaborates with groups such as the Igbo association in Finland and other African nationalities at their events, where Asanteman Finland showcases the Asante/Ghanaian culture.

They are a prominent member of the Asanteman Europe, an umbrella association that seeks to bring together all Asanteman associations abroad. Asanteman Finland also collaborates with individual such associations in other European countries. Thank you!

GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.

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With Dr Perpetual Crentsil

perpetual.crentsil@yahoo.com

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